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November 4th and 5th...
8th Annual Wind and Solar Conference to Be Held in November

This year's eighth annual Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference and Exhibition being held at the Omaha Hilton in Omaha, Nebraska, November 4th and 5th, will feature some exciting new speakers, and the return of a conference favorite, Lauren Thirer with GE Renewables. Lauren will be the keynote speaker during lunch on the first day of the conference, Wednesday November 4th. A Consumer Energy Showcase, open to the public, will be held the evening of Tuesday, November 3rd.

"Lauren's session was one of the top presentations at last year's conference and she is an incredible presenter," said Dean Mueller, Division Manager of Sustainable Energy & Environmental Stewardship for Omaha Public Power District. "Several people asked for a copy of the presentation and had follow-up questions."

Thirer is the Director of Customer Analytics at GE Renewables and joined GE in 2009 as part of the Renewable Energy Leadership Program a two-year rotational program where she held high-impact roles in parts re-manufacturing, the commercial team and the offshore product line. Thirer is responsible for the development of all new wind turbine models, including competitive assessment, analysis of global market trends and drivers, and specification of key product requirements.

"New technology and new wind turbine models, together with well-sited projects in high resource locations are a key factor for utilities in their future renewable energy choices," said Dan McGuire, conference co-chairman. "Lauren has good insight into these important subjects, and she has a very engaging presentation style that relates the material to attendees in an easy to understand manner."

"We are excited to bring this convention to the City of Omaha for the first time and to offer consumers a chance to learn about energy efficiency for residences, energy efficient products and renewable energy for homes," said Adam Herink, Conference Co-Chair. "The $5 registration fee also covers parking, so we hope people interested in renewable and energy efficiency on a personal scale will check out our new event."

The Consumer Energy Showcase will feature ideas on renewable sources and energy efficiency for homeowners and renters, including presentations that highlight home energy saving tips, solar for residential, and Demand Side Management programs offered by the utilities. Attendees will also be able to visit with vendors of energy efficient home products and appliances, and information about renewable energy resources for homeowners.

In addition to the showcase on Tuesday, conference attendees will hear from nationally known and respected industry speakers on many topics including climate change impacts, battery storage, an update on Nebraska wind projects, the Clean Power Plan, solar for rural public power districts and cooperatives, integrating wind farms with wildlife, and community solar. Confirmed speakers include Dr. Don Wilhite, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Doug Danley, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Business & Technology Strategies; David Bracht, Director of the Nebraska Energy Office; Bruce Rew, Southwest Power Pool, and Mark Gabriel, Western Area Power Administration.

"This annual conference is rightly considered by many participants to be one of the best conferences of its kind in the U.S.," said John Hansen, Conference Co-Chair.

Early standard Registration is $140 before October 4th, $160 until October 25th, and $200 until November 3rd. Student Registration is $65. Rooms at the Hilton Omaha will be $122 per night, which includes free parking. Those not staying at the hotel will receive a reduced daily parking rate of $5. Standard and student registration includes the Consumer Energy Showcase, which is open to the public for $5 per person including parking.

Registration information is available at the conference website . For hotel reservations, contact 1-800-HILTON or 1-800-445-8667. The Hilton, 1001 Cass Street, Omaha, NE.

Visit the Nebraska Energy Office's website to view last year's presentations.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Paula Steenson at ppresents@aol.com or call 402-346-3950.

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